News | Washington State Climate Office

Apr 4, 2025 | April 2025 Newsletter, Climate Matters, Climate Review, Climate Variability, Drought and Soil Conditions

The Fifth Pacific Northwest Water Year 2024 Impacts Assessment

The fifth Pacific Northwest (PNW) Water Year Impacts Assessment, released in March, chronicles the water year, its impacts, and how people responded across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho during the 2024 water year (October 1, 2023-September 30, 2024).

Apr 4, 2025 | April 2025 Newsletter, Notable Weather Events

March 2025 Notable Weather Events

March came in like a lamb with fairly settled weather, near-normal temperatures, and generally light precipitation across the state. Wetter systems arrived beginning in the second week of the month and brought steady, beneficial precipitation across much of the state.

Map of Washington Snow Water Equivalent as a percent of 1991-2020 median, organized by basin.

Apr 4, 2025 | April 2025 Newsletter, Snowpack and Drought Summary

March 2025 Snowpack and Drought Summary

March was an eventful month for snowpack due to a steady and large increase in snowpack in the middle of the month followed by significant melt-out due to the March 25-26th warm spell.

Mar 27, 2025 | Announcements

Pacific Northwest 2024 Water Year Impacts Assessment Released

Extreme Heat, Snowpack Variability, and Drought Response Highlighted in Annual Report
The fifth Pacific Northwest Water Year Impacts Assessment, released today, presents a detailed examination of seasonal climate conditions across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho for the 2024 water year (October 1, 2023–September 30, 2024).

Mar 20, 2025 | Climate Outlook

Late March 2025 Climate Outlook

What’s Next for the Pacific Northwest?
El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO): Weak La Niña conditions are expected to transition to neutral conditions in the next month.
La Niña conditions continue to weaken driven in large part by warming sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Tropical Pacific.

Mar 10, 2025 | Climate Matters, Climate Variability, Rain and Snow, Seasonal, Trends

Has it seemed cold and snowy during February in recent years?

Some folks have been remarking on how often it has been cold and sometimes snowy in February during the past decade or so. In part this can probably be attributed to the just-completed February of 2025, which has been the snowiest month of the winter for much of the state, especially at lower elevations on both sides of the Cascade Mountains.

Feb 20, 2025 | Climate Outlook

February 2025 Climate Outlook

What’s Next for the Pacific Northwest?
El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO): Our weak La Niña persists this February.
La Niña conditions are still present according to the Climate Prediction Center (CPC). Sea surface temperatures (SSTs) are running -0.6°C below normal in the Niño 3.4 region, which is an important indicator region for determining ENSO phases.

Feb 11, 2025 | Climate Matters, Climate Variability, El Niño/La Niña and Global Climate Oscillations

Detecting La Niña in a Changing Climate

Global oceans have been very warm since 2023
It is no secret that global Sea Surface Temperatures (SSTs) have been steadily increasing for decades (Fig. 1) due to climate change. Notably, conditions since 2023 have been considerably warmer (highlighted in yellow on Fig.

Feb 10, 2025 | Announcements

Washington State Climate Office Launches New Website, Advancing Strategic Goals

The Washington State Climate Office (WASCO) has officially launched a new website and introduced an updated visual identity, marking a significant step forward in the Office’s ongoing evolution. This milestone comes nearly a year after the release of WASCO’s strategic plan and demonstrates a continued commitment to expanding climate services, strengthening science communication and community engagement, and supporting informed decision-making in the pursuit of state-wide and regional climate resilience using historical climate data and seasonal forecasts.

Jan 16, 2025 | Climate Outlook

January 2025 Climate Outlook

What’s Next for the Pacific Northwest?
El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO): La Niña is here!
On January 9, the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) issued a “La Niña Advisory” due to La Niña being present in the tropical Pacific Ocean.